I don’t know about you but the continual smoke was starting to make me blue. Now, I shouldn’t really be complaining. I didn’t lose anything to the fires. I was not evacuated, and I started the summer in a very healthy state. But still, between the phlegm, the bloody “boogers” in the morning, the burning eyes, and the headaches, I was really happy to see the rain on Saturday and happier still to see some blue sky today.

Rumour has it that the smoky air was equivalent to smoking 8 cigarettes per day and had a particulate score twice that of Beijing. That does not sound to good to me considering my happiness relies on being able to play outside….

So, what to do now that we can start to breath deeply again. Firstly, send all your good karma to those who need it and are not fortunate enough to have blue sky today and secondly, start taking some deep belly breaths.

What we want to do is break up and kick out that particulate matter. So get out of that air conditioned air and do some belly breathing. I mean long slow breaths that puff up your belly as big as it will go.

Now that you are feeling all calm lets incorporate other practices that will move “stuff” out of the lungs and blood. 1. Drink 2-3 litres of filtered water every day so we have a means to carry out the “junk”2. End your shower with one minute of cold water. Remember to breath and rub the area that is in the cold water and concentrate on the lungs both front and back. (This is the same hydrotherapy I’ve been trying to get all my patients to do for years so now is a perfect time to start if your haven’t already.)3. Take some NAC (the supplement N-Acetylcystine). 500-1000mg 2-3 time/day to break up the phlegm.4. Take an infrared sauna. Minimum 20 minutes/session to actually clear anything out. (I like to stay about 45 minutes but I like the heat.)5. If you don’t’ like saunas then try an Epsom salt bath. 2-4 cups of Epsom salts per bath and you must soak a minimum of 20 minutes (maximum is when you get too pruny and the water is cold)

There are also herbs and homeopathics that could support the “detoxification” pathways and the lungs but I suggest you see your Naturopathic doctor to confirm which are appropriate for you specifically.

All the best and lets all be thankful for our clean air and do our part in keeping it clean.

THING TO DO MAKE TIME FOR MEALSMake it a habit to sit down and enjoy your meals for best digestive results

 CHEW YOU FOOD AT LEAST 11-31 TIMESDigestion starts in the mouth. Breaking down your food properly first places less stress on your stomach. You can reduce bloating by chewing your food sufficiently

 PROTEIN FIRSTEating a proper meal first with make you less likely to indulge in sweets afterwards. Eating protein (and fats) with your meals will slow the uptake of sugar avoiding spikes and falls a of the blood sugar.

 TAKE DIGESTIVE ENZYMESThis is especially for travel and eating out (restaurants and friends and family's included).

 TAKE CARE OF YOUR GUTThat means probiotics….make sure they are kept in the refrigerator and if you are travelling find one that is in spore form so that it keeps its potency out of the fridge.

 TAKE CHARGE OF THE MENUWhether you are picking the restaurant or hosting the potluck; make sure there are plenty of dishing that you can choose from.

THINKG NOT TO DO DON’T DRING WITH YOUR MEALSTry not to consume beverages (that's ALL drinks) at least 15 minutes before and 45-60 minutes after a meal

 DON’T EAT LATE AT NIGHTYour chance of heartburn can greatly increase if you overeat and then lie down after your meal. Try not to eat after 8pm.

 DON’T EAT FRUIT AFTER A MEALFruit digests quickly so after a meal it can get held up in the stomach and start to ferment making for gas and bloating.

1. The safest option for kids is sun hats, umbrellas, and sun clothes. In other words NO sunscreen at all. This is especially important for all babies under 6 months. Their skin is very absorbent and even subtle chemical exposure to their developing organs can have lasting effects. Also, fair-skinned babies do not yet have melanin proteins for sun protection.

2. Www.skincancer.org has a good resource page that describes the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UFP) labels on garments and which fabrics are best for sun protection. Click on protection then choose clothing.

3. For your children older than six months choose a mineral sun block (as opposed to chemical sunscreen). Zinc oxide or Titanium oxide are effective minerals to block and deflect the sun’s rays. These minerals do NOT break down in the sun so are preferred. However, the one downside is that these minerals can be sticky and may leave a “white” film. But hay what do kids care as long as they can play outside all day!

4. Never put anything on your skin you are not prepared to eat!Adults, this goes for you too……..

ENJOY! But remember although you could eat it don't. Firstly, if you use castor oil it will give you diarrhea and secondly, the whole purpose of this was to use up you white sugar so you didn't eat it!

'Tis the season for chocolate love so thought I would share my favorite raw chocolate recipe. This was my attempt to re-createUli Mana's most delicious raw hempseed brownies, which they sadly don't make anymore. I didn't quite hit the brownie mark, but I did hit the super delicious and highly nutritious chocolate truffle-ish mark. Hempseeds make this chocolate high in protein and essential fatty acids, and the raw cacao is high in minerals like magnesium, antioxidants and is a natural euphoric! I have also listed some other fun foods that you can add to further enhance this treat's nutritional benefit.

Slice the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the insides with a spoon into a bowl. Grind the hempseeds in a coffee grinder or blender and put to the side. Add the melted coconut and cacao butter into the bowl. Add all of the other ingredients except hempseeds into the bowl. Stir thoroughly until there are no pockets of cacao powder. Add the hempseeds and mix well.

Transfer the mixture onto a cookie sheet that is lined with waxed paper or a teflex sheet and spread evenly with a spatula to make chocolate bark. Set in the fridge for approximately 30 minutes. Remove and cut into the size and shape that you would like.

Alternately, you can put the mixture into candy molds. I use flexible silicon ice cube molds that look like hearts and stars.

Store in the fridge.

You can add any of the optional ingredients before you transfer the mix. I like to add chia seeds and coconut for a high fiber chocolate.

And just a petite caveat- this recipe is a little different every time I make it depending on the different ingredients, so play with it and have fun. Sometimes it is more truffle-like, sometimes more hard chocolate-like.

So how do those two things even end up in the same title? Can super bowl Sunday ever be done naturopathically? Well, since many of you are going to watch and celebrate anyways I thought I would at least try…..

Since I just happen to be in Mexico for Super Bowl 2017 my suggestions are inspired by a slightly warmer climate than most of you may experience but just turn up the heat and it will be all the same….

Firstly, you should know I’m not a football fan at all and I am only really interested in the half time show and the commercials if its an American channel.

Start your day with some exercise and a good sweat, yes you have time for this since the game doesn’t start until 3:30 pm PST. You do this so you are forced to rehydrate and now rehydrate again because it’s probably not going to happen later today.

Skip the beer, too much yeast and wheat, and go for my margaritas instead. (Just turn up the volume on the TV to cover the blender noise. Magic bullets are not just for smoothie.)

1. Stay hydrated. Dehydration is one of the main causes of hangovers. Coconut water is a great hydrator!

2. Alternate alcoholic beverages with water. A 2:1 water to alcoholic drink ratio is best!

3. If you are going to drink, stick to red wine (contains resveratrol, which is good for you!) or drinks you can sip slowly, like silver tequila.

4. Use club soda as a mixer rather than sweet fruit juices or pop. The sweeter the drink the more likely the hangover.

5. If you want to avoid the pounds or a hangover sneaking up on you, stay away from eggnog and Irish Cream concoctions.

6. Stay away from the Brown. Darker alcohols have substances that increase hangovers.

7. Stay away from cheap booze. It is more likely to cause hangovers due to toxins (called congeners) that are created during less expensive distillation processes. So if you are going to drink, drink the good stuff!

8. Eat before you drink. Don’t drink on an empty stomach.

9. Take vitamin C and or charcoal before bed to help eliminate the toxins.

10. Consider going on the wagon during the holidays. I know, that might sound a little crazy but I am a firm believer in shaking up the status quo. The value it can have on the immune system, sleep, weight, mood, and productivity can be immense. (Ok, probably not going to happen but just think about it!)

Almost...

With a few modifications it could be better than any commercial sports drink.

Coconut water is a much better source of Potassium but is missing two major ingredients that the body would need after a sweaty workout. Sodium, the main electrolyte lost through sweating and carbohydrates, which help replenish the body's spend energy. So by adding those two ingredients we have a great alternative. Please check the ingredients of your coconut water first as some have already added sugar. Choose one with no sugar and add your own so you get a complex sugar.

THINGS TO DO

WASH UP

Keeping clean hands is the best way to prevent infections and illnesses. And keep your hands away from your face and mouth. Most viruses are spread from hand to mouth

GET UP AND MOVE AROUND

Whether you are travelling by plain, train, or automobile try to get up and move around to keep the blood moving to avoid blood clots, to avoid getting stiff by changing position, and to change your activity.

ONE CUP AN HOUR

Try to drink one cup (8 ounces or 250 ml) for every hour you are travelling, especially by air. The low humidity at high altitudes makes the air cabin very dry on both our airways (which makes you more susceptible for airborne viruses and bacteria) and is very constipating. I know you want to use airplane toilets as little as possible but staying hydrated makes you enjoy the rest of your trip better.

PACK A NUTRITIONAL SNACK TO KEEP YOUR BLOOD SUGAR STEADY

Plan to take some fun healthy snacks with you. Don't count on airport, plane, and gas station food. Think of fruits, nuts and seeds, or veggie sticks. (Remember for air travel if the homous is already on the crackers it will make it through security but if it is separate, in its own container it won't)

MAKE SURE YOU GET SOME SLEEP

For car travel a minimum of 6 hours sleep the night before and during the trip is a BCAA recommendation. As for air, the more tired you are the more susceptible you are to catching things.

PREPARE FOR DELAYS

Whether it's due to road conditions, accidents, or weather. Always have your car packed with warm clothes and plenty or water. And your carry on with a toothbrush, underwear, a clean t shirt and your supplements and medications.

THINGS NOT TO DO

DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL ON YOUR FLIGHT

Alcohol is dehydrating, interferes with sleep, and suppresses the immune system. Since it's not free anymore what's the point anyways.

DON’T GO TO SLEEP THE MOMENT YOU ARRIVE

Have a shower on your arrival and go for a walk, this will help you sleep better and deal with the jet lag faster.

DON’T OVERLOAD YOUR SCHEDULE

Try to only schedule one activity/day. Your body, mind and energy levels will thank you for it. If you are visiting friends and relatives, invite them all to a gathering at once, whether at a home or in a café, pub, or park. Once they have all been invited, it's up to them to make the effort so you are not taking all your time visiting them individually.

DON’T FORGET TO WINTERIZE YOUR CAR

That includes tires (check the spare), chargers, flashlights, and a first aid kit.

In the Taber’s Medical Dictionary there is no listing/definition for cleanse, but according to Google the definition is as follows:

cleanse

klenz/

verb

make (something, especially the skin) thoroughly clean.

rid (a person, place, or thing) of something seen as unpleasant, unwanted, or defiling.

free (someone) from sin or guilt.

Which I think is quite accurate for what we are trying to do from a Naturopathic perspective. Cleansing is NOT fasting and the two should not be confused. In a cleanse we DO eat and drink but it's what we decide to eat and drink that make it a ‘cleanse”.

So, why should you cleanse? Because life is toxic. We have a choice of how clean a life we decide to live by our habits (good and bad) and what we put into our body (food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals.). However, there are many things that are less in our control. For example, I ride my bike to work (good for me) but I ride with traffic and suck in all that exhaust (bad for me). I love my job (good for me) but it can be quite stressful especially when you find out all your data has been corrupted in your accounting program and you need to re-enter the last two months worth of data and are trying to get all the information to the tax accountant to get year end done in time (bad for me).

Hence, I cleanse, to get rid of all that is unpleasant and unwanted. If that is not reason enough, I believe a clean body is both anti cancer and anti aging.

Cleansing can take many forms. There is never the perfect time, when the weather, the stars, and your schedule all align to get it done so you just have to commit. If life is busy, as it usually is right after Christmas and New Years, do an easy cleanse that just eliminates alcohol and cleanses the liver. In the spring I do my major cleanse where I consume just broths and juices. It’s my spring cleaning of the body and it just feels right. The weather is changing and the flowers are blooming and it's not too hot. (Is it ever too hot in Vancouver though?)

It is often the case that you don't feel well during the actual cleanse but you feel so much better afterwards which is why it's important to choose a cleanse that is applicable to where you are and what you are trying to achieve by it.

Remember, it's all about balance and strivingto maintain a homeostasis! Nike had it right.

ITS FEBRUARY AND ITS COLD, DARK, AND WET………By this time of year the excitement of Christmas and New Years has worn off, you have probably already abandoned your New Years resolution, and all you feel like doing is catching up on another Netflix series......I’ve got another idea to make the winter pass more quickly.

TAKE A SUNNY VACATIONThis is always my first suggestion, one that I like to refer to as “vitamin D therapy.” I’m always happy to write a prescription for you if necessary. If you book the time off work but wait until the post Christmas sales and promotions come up and you are willing to let the deal determine your destination, you can actually get a week of sun without having to dip into the line of credit.

However, if this is not an option try the following….

INCREASE YOUR VITAMIN D LEVELS SYNTHETICALLYFor winter I suggest at least 2000 IU of Vitamin D3/day. However, if you are already taking this much try increasing to 3000 or 4000IU/day. Since it’s a fat soluble vitamin you can take it all at the same time. Remember to decrease your dose again once the sun comes out.

GET OUTSIDEI found that the best way to get through a Vancouver winter is to embrace it. Yes, it's a nice time to catch up on reading and movies but during the daylight the best thing is to just get outside any weather. In other words we take out the clause “weather depending”. Spendingmy days off in the mountains either cross country skiing, snowshoeing or skiing/boarding just feels good. If you are not a skier get up to the local hills and try snowshoeing. Cypress even marks its trails according to the steepness, so you have green to black. Or you can do the freetrails of Hollyburn.

LEARN TO LOVE THE RAINIf you live in Vancouver you MUST learn to love the rain whatever the season is. Remember when you were a kid and you loved to go and play in the rain? Well, it’s still fun as an adult. Invest in a decent rain jacket and some gumboots (luckily they are trendy again and come in fun designs for adults). If you have the right equipment nothing can stop you. Don’t walk around the puddles walk right through them and tell me if that doesn’t just put a smile on your face.

REMEMBER, Vancouver would not be so green and luscious if we didn't have all this rain. It's keeping you young!

OK, so you survived the holidays, perhaps even without getting the sinus infection and bronchitis that were going around but now its time to get back on track and “clean out” the holiday indulgences. I’ve already given you two weeks to get back into the work/school routine.

Its too cold and rainy to do a full detox, so I propose you do a simple cleanse…….

STOP THE ALCOHOL AND SUGAR

I don’t mean cut it down, or return to a moderate amount, I mean stop. That’s right COLD TURKEY!

Why? Because it’s good for you and I said so! The body can only take so much and that includes your poor liver and your gut flora. They both need a break, and what better month to do it than January. There are no long weekends and its already half over. I used to wait until February to do this because it was the shortest month and there were no long weekends. (I don’t count valentines’ day as a reason for any celebration, I accept flowers every day of the year.) But, now there is Family Day and it seemed February would not come soon enough this year so I started on January 4th.

Here are a few steps to make this doable:

1. Put all leftover alcohol in the garage where you will not keep looking at it and drooling or in a cupboard that is out of reach and you don’t go into very often.

2. Get rid of all the cookies and chocolates that you haven’t yet consumed. I DO NOT MEANT EAT THEM. I like to give then to the street people living near my office, there is no reason for good cookies and chocolates to go in the garbage, they just cannot go in my mouth.

3.Be prepared for a less social month. This does not mean that you hide and don’t leave the house, just don’t make a date to meet at the bar. Instead, go to a movie, a play, or even go snowshoeing or night cross country skiing or tubing.

4. Still consume plenty of beverages but just not alcoholic ones. I like to put bubbly water in a wine glass to feel like its not just another glass of water.

5. Enjoy the improved sleep without all that extra sugar.

6. If you choose, pick up a homeopathic “detox kit” to clear out anything else that needs to go!

If you drank too much—ooops!—take a big glass of water with 2000mg of vitamin C before bed and perhaps a dose of homeopathic Nux Vomica (3 pellets of 30C or smaller). Repeat the Nux Vomica in the morning too.